The Slideshow Effect (Bonus Track Version)

Imagine Mazzy Star as an alt-country band with a lite-FM fetish. Memoryhouse’s debut album captures a mellow-to-languid pastoral vibe that strips away the gauzy haze of the group's earlier EP and singles. Without the soft focus, singer Denise Nouvion shifts from being an elusive chanteuse to a cornfed Midwesterner with a plainspoken, earnest-to-nasal delivery. There are still hints of the group’s dream-pop roots in Evan Abeele's arrangements, such as the expansive midsection of "Heirloom" (a track that appeared in greater ethereal form on the 2010 "Caregiver" single). "Old Haunts" tracks closest to Memoryhouse’s previous approach, with sonics that weave a cloud for the vocals to rest on. "Bonfire" adheres to dream folk, with guitars that slide from the desert into the sky. "Walk with Me" starts with a high lonesome vibe before settling into a shimmering indie rock groove. Where the duo takes things from here should give listeners a better idea of what kind of group Memoryhouse aims to be.